


Gauntlets and Greaves

by RedTeamShark



Category: RWBY
Genre: Additional Characters: Cinder Fall, Additional Characters: Emerald Sustrai, Additional Characters: Neo, Additional Characters: Qrow Branwen, Additional Characters: Roman Torchwick, Additional Characters: Ruby Rose, Additional Characters: Taiyang Xiao Long, Additional Characters: Team RWBY, Alternate Universe, F/M, First Meeting, Gauntletsandgreaves Week, Hurt/Comfort, Music, Role Swap, Theme chapters, Weapons/Semblance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-03-26 01:30:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13847214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTeamShark/pseuds/RedTeamShark
Summary: Fics for the various days of Gauntlets and Greaves week. All focused on relationships between Yang and Mercury.See individual chapters for theme/summary and warnings.





	1. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a child, Yang goes to Mistral with her uncle and meets a mysterious boy.  
>  **Warnings:** Some implied/referenced child abuse.

“HI-YAAAAAH!” Fists fly! Things explode! The monsters and the bad guys pee their pants and run scared! Yang stands with her back to the explosion as the crowd cheers her name. Another village saved by Yang Xiao Long, the Best Huntress in the Entire World!

“Yang! Yaaaaang!” Ruby’s shout snaps her out of her daydream, back to reality and the sandbag she’d been practicing against. Okay, so it hasn’t blown up in a cool explosion that she  _ totally _ didn’t look back at, but it  _ is _ looking a little rougher around the edges. 

“Coming, Ruby!” She runs across their yard to the house, vaulting herself up onto the porch railing and leaning over it. “What’s up?”

“Uncle Qrow’s here!” Their feet pound across the wide wood planks as they run to greet their uncle, tackling him together and searching through his coat for the presents he always brings. After a few minutes their dad joins them, helping Qrow to his feet and shaking his head.

“So, what brings you back to this neck of the woods?”

“Heard the Firecracker got into Pharos, thought I’d come congratulate her. I didn’t even have to pull any strings.” The adults laugh and after a beat Ruby joins them.

“Hahaha, strings…” She wipes a pretend tear from her eye, turning to Yang. “Hey, you’re not laughing?”

“Why would you have to pull any strings?!” Yang stomps her foot down on her uncle’s shoe, glaring up at him. “I’m good enough to do it on my own! I’m gonna be the Best Huntress  _ Ever _ !”

Qrow and Tai exchange a look before Qrow leans down, eye-to-eye with his niece. “You really think so, firecracker?”

“Yeah!”

“How many missions have you gone on?”

“Duh, like, a lot.” Yang glares, refusing to back down.

“Uh-huh… How many  _ real _ missions?”

“Qrow…” Tai’s voice is warning.

“Well… Well I will soon! I’ll go on them when I’m at Pharos!”

Qrow stands up again, shaking his head. “Nah. You don’t have the guts, pipsqueak. Bet you wouldn’t even be able to hold your own with me on my next mission.” He turns away with his eyes closed, peeking a moment later. 

She’s fired up, her fists clenched and eyes blazing. “I could too! In fact, I  _ will _ !”

“Fine. Pack your bag, we’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

The fire drops out of Yang immediately, her eyes going wide. “Wh--what? You mean it?!”

“Hurry up, before your dad and I change our minds.”

* * *

Mistral is a lot different than Patch. Yang stays close to Qrow, her hand holding onto the tail of his coat as they walk through the town’s crowded market. She’d been a  _ little _ disappointed on the flight over, when he’d revealed that this ‘big important mission’ was just delivering a letter to Haven Academy’s headmaster, but now, actually here… Yang swallows, her grip on Qrow’s coat tightening. There are so  _ many _ people. Patch’s marketplace is never this crowded, not even on festival days!

“Here.” Qrow passes her some Lien, nodding across the aisle. “Go get yourself something for lunch, okay? I have to talk with someone.”

“But…”

“Hey, are you a big tough Huntress in training or not?” It’s not like there’s anything dangerous in the marketplace. Not this close to the academy.

“I-I’m tough!” Yang snatches the money, stalking across the crowd to the noodle shop. She climbs up to the seat, slapping down her uncle’s Lien and looking at the menu. “Can I have a number two, please?”

“Mmm…” The old man behind the counter disappears into the back and Yang huffs, resting her elbow on the counter, chin in her hand as she looks around. A real mission, psh. This is kid stuff. She wants a real mission, real danger. She wants…

Yang’s eyes narrow as someone catches her attention, a boy a few stalls down. She watches him as he watches the merchant, her eyes going wide when he reaches up and grabs two apples, stuffing them into his shirt before running away. He didn’t pay for those!

“Hold my order! I have a crime to stop!” She shouts, jumping off the stool and running after the boy. This is it, this is her chance to be a real Huntress and stop crime where it starts or something!

She’s fast but the boy is faster, disappears down an alley as she rounds the corner. She runs after him, breathing hard. “St-stop right there, evil-doer!” This is way better than pretending with sandbags back home!

She rounds the next corner to a dead end and looks around, stalking down the alley slowly. “Nowhere to hide now…” There, behind the crate, a peek of silver hair! She runs up to it, standing in front of him. “Hah! Got you!”

The swell of pride in her chest drains as she looks at him, her stomach doing a flip. Up close he’s dirty and too skinny, cowering and covered in bruises. This… This isn’t a hardened criminal, it’s a scared kid. “Hey… wait…”

“I-I didn’t mean it!” He shoves the apples towards her, his dark eyes wide. “I’ll give them back! I was just hungry!”

“I… I was just playin’ around.” She reaches out, pulling her hand back when he flinches. “Um… C’mon, don’t worry… I know, let’s give them back and then we can eat at the noodle place? My uncle gave me some money.” A Huntress helps people. Chasing some scared boy isn’t helping anyone. “It’ll be okay.”

He looks at her, distrustful, before slowly standing up. Yang gets a good look at the apples in his hands, her frown growing. Old and bruised and discolored, not the kind that would even sell at most market stalls. Still, this time when she offers her hand he takes it, lets her lead him back to the fruit stall. She distracts the merchant with a question while he puts them back, the two of them running back to the noodle stand. 

“Can I get another bowl?” Yang asks with a grin, pouring half her noodles into the new bowl and pushing it to the boy. “Come on, eat up. You said you were hungry.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” He pokes at the food for a moment before giving in, eating ravenously.

“Well… ‘cause I’m a Huntress. Or, um, in training. Soon. And Huntresses help people!” Yang digs into her own lunch, grinning. “My name’s Yang Xiao Long! What’s yours?”

“I… I’m Mercury. Mercury Black.”


	2. Role Swap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandit Queen Yang and Huntsman Mercury  
>  **Warnings:** There's some pretty nasty things implied, as with canon bandits, and some violence.

An earthquake? No, it’s too concentrated for that. Mercury pauses his steps, closing his eyes and listening. That sound…

The gunshot rings through the city square as he leaps, lands himself on a rooftop and runs. This is faster than city streets and they won’t have time otherwise. He hits the watch wall and scales to the tower, looking over the surrounding land. Nothing...

“Everything okay?”

The building they’re in shakes before he can answer, before he can tell them to sound the alarm. At the city gate, someone lets out a shout.

“Bandits,” the Huntsman whispers, sending a kick into the warning gong. Ladders take too long, it’s faster to jump out of the tower. If he can buy the city some time.

“Oh my, they have a Huntsman in this little hole?” His landing is thrown off, his kick met with an equally powerful punch. The city walls shake again from the impact of the two.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Mercury regains his balance, stands between the tribe and the city gate. The people need at least two minutes to get to the shelters. He has to buy them that much time.

“Well…” The blonde woman at the front grins, looking over her shoulder to the gathered bandits behind her. “I’m Yang Branwen, this is my tribe, and we want to see your city burn, Huntsman.”

Branwen. Mercury’s eyes widen, his stance moving more defensive. “Branwen…” There have been reports about them, about what they do to towns and cities and people that stand in their way. He won’t be afraid. “I won’t just let you have your way.”

“Aw, how noble.” Her fist flies and he meets it with a kick, another trembling impact shaking the air around them. What are her gauntlets  _ made _ of? “It’s too bad it’s all in vain.”

Ninety seconds. Mercury attacks this time, a series of kicks that send her back one step, two. The tribe seems content to let their leader fight alone… for the moment. He’s not going to count on that staying. There’s no negotiating with bandits, no--

Her fist impacts his lower leg and Mercury turns in the air, lands on his hands before pushing himself up to face her again. Yang shakes out her hand, looking him up and down slowly. His pants have ripped where she landed a hit, metal shining through. “Ooh. Fancy. I bet you think those make you real special, Huntsman.” Her left hand lifts, ripping the right sleeve from her coat and showing her own prosthetic, glowing gold. “But you’re not.”

Sixty seconds. Another flurry of attacks send brick crumbling from the facade of the walls. He still has her backing up, but he can sense that she’s toying with him, not giving it her all. She wants him to let his guard down. Instead Mercury redoubles his efforts, slices the air where her head was a half-second before and sees strands of blonde float to the ground.

In an instant, Yang’s demeanor changes. Her eyes flash red, her moves becoming offensive, no longer playful. “That. Was a mistake.” She drives him back with punch after punch, more of them landing than he can block. Mercury’s back slams into the wall of the city and it cracks around him, his aura draining from the assault. She stands in front of him, right arm drawn back, ready to put a bullet through his head.

Thirty seconds. If he can buy them thirty seconds--

The shot hits the wall next to him and it caves, letting the horde of bandits surge past, into the city. Yang stands over him, her fist curled in the front of his shirt holding him up. “Aw, looks like you just weren’t good enough. Then again, it’s what you’re used to, isn’t it? You weren’t good enough to beat me during the Vytal Festival, either.”

She doesn’t even have the decency to kill him.


	3. Weapons/Semblance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercury's semblance gives him extra time in a fight, but that time has to come from somewhere.  
>  **Warnings:** Angst.

He starts counting when he turns sixteen. It’s not much, not even measurable at first, but the clock he keeps on his leg drifts out of sync with every other clock in the world by fractions at a time. 

The first time he calls her blondie, Mercury is a full three seconds ahead. He’s eighteen.

He holds her arm at Haven Academy and thinks about how quickly the nanoseconds add up a year later. Now he’s six seconds ahead.

At twenty-one, Yang brings him a birthday present and sees the clock on his leg. She points out that it’s wrong. He doesn’t have an answer for why he lets it be ten seconds ahead.

He kisses her on her twenty-fifth birthday, presses his forehead to hers and whispers that deep dark secret. Time for him is different. He’s at almost a minute ahead. “It doesn’t change anything.” She kisses him again and even though he shouldn’t, he slows it down, gives them an extra four seconds to savor it. Make that an even minute.

The stronger he gets, the further he drifts. Minutes add up to hours. Hours add up to days. Mercury stops counting when he’s thirty-five and ragged beyond that. Days add up to years. She strokes her hands through his hair, kisses his forehead and asks him, in a voice too serious to hide the concern, what his rush is. Why does he feel the need to grow old without her? He doesn’t have the answer to it. This was never his choice.

“I was never meant to be long term,” he whispers, holding her hand and watching his clock tick on as the one as the wall remains still. He’s wasting time, but he’s never had time to begin with. Not since he found his semblance. He’s forty-one and his time is up, his clock winding down. Every extra second has to go somewhere. It doesn’t matter how slow he makes the rest of the world, his clock has kept on its predetermined course. “I got more than I ever could have asked for, though.”


	4. Alternate Universe - Lost Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three times Yang and Mercury dance in the Lost Princess AU.  
>  **Warnings:** None.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A collab with an artpiece by @dropthegraceart on tumblr! [[link]](http://dropthegraceart.tumblr.com/post/171865879103/gng-week-day-4-alternate-universe-bc-of-course-i)

The flickering firelight danced with them, flashes of gold rising like sparks into the night. Around the camp there was laughter, singing, music. Bodies pressed close together under blankets, shadows moving in canvas tents. Mercury crept along the shadowed outskirts, his eyes on his target. She danced from group to group, golden hair trailing out behind her like a torch from the fire. This was Patch’s lost princess...

He slipped closer, aware of how out of place he looked, dull colors and lack of jewels among all the bright and sparkly adornments. Emerald would have a field day robbing these people blind. Mercury snorted, slipping himself along her path, letting the flash of coin draw her attention.

“Do you dance?” She leaned in close to him, sweet perfumes of desert flowers almost overwhelming at this distance.

“No, but if you’d like to dance for me…” The coins flashed, disappeared into a pouch at her hip. Her hand closed over his before he could pull it back, leading him to one of the tents.

Mercury moved as instructed, his eyes sharp on her. Even through the thin canvas, firelight danced with her, putting shimmer to her bared skin. More and more bared skin, her sheer drape being slowly dropped to the floor. She leaned in close, ran her fingers down his chest towards his waist. Mercury swallowed, his hand starting to lift to push her away lest she find one of the knives he carried, relaxing only when she took a step back. He couldn’t afford to botch this job.

“There’s no reason to be nervous.” She grinned at him, dropping to the blankets next to him. “I mean, I get that this is pretty in-tents, but… Get it? In tents?”

He groaned, shaking his head. “That… was terrible.”

“I know. But the dance wasn’t. So… why aren’t you enjoying yourself?” Her hand touched his arm, fingers brushing the wrapping over his bicep. “You’re not our usual type of visitor.”

Too observant by far. Did she know? Was this some sort of trap for him? “Maybe I wanted to try something new.”

She stood, grasping his wrists and pulling him up, her body pressing close to his. “Then try something really new and dance _with_ me. I’ll show you how.” Her hands moved to his, fingers lacing together and lifting one of his arms, her hair flying behind her as she turned under it. She pressed close, back to his chest, taking his lowered hand and pressing it to her hip. “Right here... Move your hips like mine.”

So close, the scent of desert flowers, the heat of her warmer than any fire he’d ever sat by. Mercury found himself moving with her, leaned in and pressed his lips close to her ear. “You don’t dance like any princess I’ve ever seen.”

“Because I’m not a princess.”

“That’s what you think.”

* * *

Yang groaned, dropping into the chair and kicking her heels off, shoving them out from under her billowing skirt. “No. No way. I can’t do this. It’s too _stiff_.”

“You have to learn. Proper ballroom dancing is part of proper etiquette.” Weiss raised an eyebrow, taking her own seat, her legs crossed neatly at the ankle. “And frankly, you need all the help you can get there.”

“If I’m the _princess_ , then I’m in _charge_ , right? So I can decide what etiquette matters or doesn’t.” Yang grinned, leaning forward and looking Weiss up and down. “Checkmate, Miss Priss.”

“Yeah, no. The court decides if you’re worth following and right now? I wouldn’t trust you to lead me in a sing-along, nevermind as a country.” Weiss cleared her throat, sitting up straighter. “Shoes on, Yang. Didn’t you used to be a dancer?”

“I used to follow the rhythm and I _definitely_ used to do it barefoot.” She stood, crossing to her heels and sliding them on under her skirt again.

“Yeah, and half-naked.” Her attention shot upwards at the comment, eyes widening and a grin stretching across her face as Mercury slipped into the room. The lesson was temporarily abandoned as she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him quickly.

“Come to think of it…” Weiss mused, crossing the room, “if he’s going to be your guard, he could use a few etiquette lessons, too. Like ‘windows are for looking out of, not coming in through’ and ‘entering the private quarters of the princess without permission is punishable by death in some places’ and…” Her eyes lit up. “Dancing. Mercury, stand up straight. Yang, go sit down--properly.”

They grumbled, following the instructions. Weiss was almost impossible to appease, and actively pissing her off would only raise her standards. Yang took a seat as her friend-turned-dance-instructor spoke quietly to Mercury, her eyebrow raising as he crossed the room to her. There was a spark in his eye, a plan that she was sure she’d catch the drift of soon. Weiss restarted the music, watching them with a critical eye.

Bowing low, Mercury held his hand out to the seated princess. “If it honors the princess… Would she accept a dance with me?” His voice was low, deep, sending pleasant shivers up her spine. Under Weiss’s gaze, Yang set her hand in his, allowing him to pull it to his lips for a moment before she stood.

“I would be honored.” Her hand stayed in his, lifted to near his shoulder as his other hand settled at her waist. Her free hand lifted her skirt slightly, no more than two inches off the ground as Weiss had instructed over and over, holding it out of the way as she let him lead her in the dance.

“Now that’s--what are you doing?!” Weiss stomped her foot with a huff, her cheeks turning pink as Mercury spun Yang, turned her back to him and pressed his hips close to hers. They danced as they had in the tent that night, bodies tight, heat between them enough to burn. “That is _definitely_ not proper.”

“Jealous?” Yang asked, her arms opening up. “Come on, I’ll teach you how to do it so that the next time you’re alone with Blake… well…”

The flush on Weiss’s cheeks grew brighter, her eyes darting to the side as she turned the music off. “...Okay. But after that, you _have_ to take these lessons seriously.”

“Deal.”

* * *

“This guard uniform is itchy as hell.”

“Get used to it. And look sharp, she’s coming in.” Qrow nudged him, unable to hide a snicker as Mercury straightened his back. The punk almost looked like he belonged.

Yang crossed the room slowly, regally, all eyes on her as she followed her father to the end of the large ballroom. The ceremony confirming her official status as heir to the Patch throne had been that afternoon, now the evening was a party to celebrate the return of their lost princess. Food, drink, dancing, the entire court welcome to come celebrate and offer their allegiance to the new princess. Honestly, probably one of the most boring parties she’d ever been at.

Her eyes wandered, finding Mercury among the guards, somehow standing out even in the identical uniform to the man on either side of him. She caught his eye and grinned, beckoning him closer with a slight shake of her head. As Mercury crossed the room she sat up a little straighter, waiting until he was knelt in front of her to speak.

“Is there something I can assist with, Princess?”

“Well… I’d like to dance, but I’d rather not favor one suitor over another…”

He stood, bowing low and offering her his hand. “As your guard, it is my personal honor to ask you to dance, then. If it pleases the princess?”

Weiss would be ripping her hair out at their mockery of formality, but no one was close enough to catch them. They charaded through the properness of it, bodies pressing perhaps too close as they moved to the dance floor. Mercury’s fingers curled over her waist, his eyes on hers. “This party is boring.”

“ _Tell_ me about it… If one more person calls me ‘my liege’ I’m going to scream.”

“How about ‘your grace’?”

“Do not tempt me, Mercury.” She grinned, her fingers squeezing his lightly. “If I scream they’re going to assume you’ve done something wrong.”

“Then I’d better do something to deserve it.” He squeezed her waist and she squeaked, squirming through the dance steps.

“That tickles!”

“I know.”

The amount of laughter, the volume of their voices, the closeness of their bodies… all definitely inappropriate. Especially for a princess and a mere guard. But no one stepped in to stop them, and it definitely did make the party more entertaining.


	5. Hurt/Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Haven AU, Mercury and Yang slowly realize how much they're growing to rely on each other.  
>  **Warnings:** Angst. Implied/Offscreen Minor Character Death. Implied past abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested in knowing more about Haven AU, here's a short summary: [[link].](https://mercuryxblack.tumblr.com/post/170254914865/haven-au)

“I lost my whole team!”

“So did I!”

They stand toe to toe, eyes blazing. Yang’s fist clenches at her side, her teeth gritting down. Mercury crosses his arms, turning on his heel and stalking away from her. “Your team is still alive.”

The words are like an arrow through her heart, freezing her lips shut, turning her tongue to sand. Her team is still alive? Her ‘team’ is ragged edges and open wounds. They all  _ left _ her and now he’s walking away, too.

Yang takes one step forward, reaches up as if to stop him. “Mercury…” He doesn’t pause and she’s not sure she even said his name out loud.

Her dad doesn’t ask where he went and somehow, that’s worse. Even Tai expects her to be abandoned now.

The next morning is gray and dull, weather matching her mood perfectly. Yang sits by the window, staring out at the dripping leaves and overcast skies. She doesn’t care. She shouldn’t care. She hopes Mercury at least went into town and is somewhere warm and dry. Across the living room, Tai fills the fireplace, lights a warm blaze to try to chase the cold and damp out of the house. When his hand settles on her shoulder she finally looks up at him, her face pressing to his chest a moment later.

“He’ll come back,” Tai murmurs, hand stroking down Yang’s back.

“I don’t know if he will, Dad…”

* * *

For two weeks, she keeps an eye out for him. A flash of silver in the woods, the sound of combat in their little patch of peace, anything that indicates Mercury is still around. Each day, her optimism fades more. When the next soaking rain chases her indoors all day, she decides she’s never going to see him again. Mercury has left her, just like everyone else.

Even Tai’s gone that night, into town to get groceries. Yang sits by the fire, her knees drawn up and arm wrapped around them. It doesn’t matter. Maybe she was meant to be alone, like her uncle. 

Footsteps on the porch, stumbling, staggering. Speaking of her uncle… But they’re different from Qrow’s drunken returns. Heavy weight falls against the door and Yang stands, crossing the room slowly. She eases the door open, ready to slam it, ready to fight, and nearly falls back when Mercury stumbles into the room. He’s shivering, bloodied, soaked to the bone… Yang shuts the door behind him, moves him to the couch and grabs some blankets.

“Get undressed,” she orders, helping him out of his wet clothes, wrapping him in blankets and using her hips to shove the couch closer to the fireplace. The clothes she tosses into a corner, she’ll hang them up to dry later. Yang disappears upstairs for a minute, comes back with more blankets and pillows. She bundles onto the couch with him, presses her body close to try to warm him up. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s fine.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

His chattering teeth stop any multi-syllable answers and Yang frowns, squeezes closer under the blankets and starts looking him over. Cuts and scrapes, none of them too bad. Lower down, past his hips, things look a lot worse… but those are all old injuries, old scars from events she’s never asked about. If he wanted to tell her…

There’s sluggish blood leaking from the connection of flesh and metal, the wound already mostly closed. Yang relents in her inspection, buries herself into his chest and tries to warm him up. 

“I missed you…” She barely breathes the words but she can feel his breath hitch, his arms slowly wrapping around her.

"I shouldn't have left..." At least his teeth have stopped chattering enough for words to be possible. "I just..." 

"It's okay. You came back." Yang closes her eyes, listens to Mercury's steady heartbeat. He came back. 

Tai finds them in the morning, a pile of blankets on the couch in front of the low embers that are left of the fire. He breathes a silent sigh of relief, crossing to the kitchen to put away the groceries. At least there's one person who didn't abandon her.


	6. Music - The Girl at the Rock Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bright-eyed optimistic high schoolers who just want to make it big with their band and be in love forever.  
>  **Warnings:** None.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually a fan-prequel to The Devil is a Boy by desdemonawrath.

Mercury looked over the paper, his finger following along with the words. He hummed the tune softly, looking up at Yang with a grin as he finished. “I like it.”

“It’s… I’ve been working on it for a while.” She grinned, leaning forward and kissing him gently. “Figured you guys could play it at battle of the bands or something.”

“Might sound weird for Cinder to sing it, but yeah…”

Her hand lifted, fingers stroking through his hair. “I was thinking… you could sing it.”

“I don’t sing, I just play drums.”

“You sing just fine.”

They kissed again, settling onto Yang’s bed. They’d be dead if her dad caught them, but Mercury was pretty sure he was asleep. And he could sneak out of the window pretty quickly.

* * *

“What?!” Cinder slammed her hands onto the table, staring across the garage. “Roman, you can’t just bail on us! Battle of the bands is two weeks away!”

“Look, not my fault. My family’s going on vacation that weekend, it’s not like I can just bail on that.” He huffed, waving a hand. “Besides, it’s not like this is our last chance.”

“No… but it’s our first.” Mercury spun his drumstick, looking down. “We need to do this stuff and get noticed so we can make it big.”

“Mercury’s right. If you can’t commit to this… I hate to say it, but we won’t be able to commit to you.”

“Yeah? Well, good luck finding another guitarist!” Roman turned, stomping out of the garage. After a moment of stillness, Neo slipped her bass off to follow him.

Cinder and Mercury exchanged a look, their lead singer and unofficial leader sighing. “I… guess that’s the end of practice today. I’ll talk to Neo later.”

“We might be able to keep her around, but…” His head jerked up suddenly, eyes widening. “I might have a replacement guitarist for us. One who knows all our songs, even.”

* * *

“Yeah. I’ll do it.” Yang grinned, holding up a finger before Mercury could speak. “But. In exchange for this, I want you to sing the song I wrote during the show.”

“Yang…”

“You can sing and I’ll back you up. Come on, it’ll be great. Might really make you stand out, too… Versatility, right?” Her hand found his, squeezing gently. “It’s your first chance to get noticed by someone big, you wanna make it count, right?”

The bell for class rang, two minutes until they’d be late. Mercury leaned in, kissing her slowly. “Okay. Fair. We’re practicing at Cinder after school, okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you after school.”

* * *

Cinder called them over, the group huddling together. “Okay. No pressure, but this is our first chance to have something big. Three songs to show our stuff…” Her gaze moved among the group, lingering on Yang. “We’ll do Yang’s song last, leave a real impression of our versatility on people. Don’t mess this up, everyone.”

“Wow, no pressure.” Yang snorted, shaking her head.

They stepped onto stage when they were called, eyeing the crowd. This was way different than playing in the garage for a couple of people, or the back yard for their families. Mercury swallowed his nerves, caught Yang’s eye and grinned as they started.

The crowd seemed to like them, however, cheering along with their first two songs. When Cinder stepped back from the mic and Mercury stepped up, things got quiet, a moment of confusion before their judgement. Neo slipped her bass off and took his seat at the drum kit as Mercury picked his bass up from off-stage.

Yang opened on guitar, Neo and Mercury jumping in with drums and bass. He took a breath, one last look over to Yang before he opened his mouth.

“ _ I couldn’t wait for the summer and the Warped Tour _

_ I remember it’s the first time that I saw her there _ ”

People were cheering and whistling, clapping along with the fast-paced music. Mercury felt himself relax, letting loose as they went into the chorus and Yang’s voice joined his.

“ _ I fell in love with the girl at the rock show _

_ She said ‘what?’ and I told her that I didn’t know _

_ She’s so cool gonna sneak in through her window _

_ Everything’s better when she’s around _

_ Can’t wait til her parents go out of town _

_ I fell in love with the girl at the rock show _ ”

By the last round of chorus the crowd was joining in, enjoying the song as much as they were. They finished facing each other, singing to each other rather than the crowd and Mercury leaned in as the last notes hung in the air, kissing her quickly. “Thanks.”

They were cheered off the stage, Neo and Cinder moving in close and pulling them both into very sweaty hugs. “I think we made an impression.”

“Maybe…” Yang agreed, nudging Mercury lightly. “Told you you could sing, dork.”


	7. First Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Variations on a theme of first times. Canon divergence for the end of v5.  
>  **Warnings:** Violence, explicit sexual content.

She's bent over her notebook, pencil moving studiously as Port lectures about something completely unrelated to the class. Mercury watches her, watches the unconscious way her hand lifts and brushes wild blonde hair behind her ear. When she looks up at the rest of her team he can see her eyes, bright lilac full of laughter. She catches him staring and grins, flashes her paper to him, a doodle of the professor who is still going on about his tangent. He grins back, unashamed of being caught, his fingers miming putting a gun to his head. Yang Xiao Long would be just his type if he could take that risk.

* * *

Yang decides she's gonna wipe that stupid, smug grin off his face. She grasps his wrists, shoves his back to the wall and leans up on her toes until they're eye to eye. The tension in his body thrums into her, the constriction of his pupils, the hard muscles of his arms and legs ready to fight her off. Until her lips press against his, soft and warm, inviting him to enjoy. Yang slides her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, keeps Mercury in close as she tastes his tongue in her mouth.

He's not smirking anymore when she pulls back, is as flushed and breathless as she is. "So maybe I do," she whispers, kissing him again before he can get smug and ruin the moment. Maybe she does like him... And maybe he likes her, too.

* * *

Breathe in. Breathe out. He knows what’s coming, he knows who he’s up against. Mercury watches the roster spin, his grin growing as it matches him up against Yang.

Just follow the plan.

She’s tough, he’ll give her that much credit. Faster and stronger than most anyone else in the finals. He realizes within minutes that he’s going to have to take her much more seriously than his two-on-two match. Just like she said, he better not go easy on her.

He draws himself back just enough not to make a finishing blow. Follow the plan. He can take a hit like a pro, can face her wrath and still smirk at it. Even if those red eyes in his face make his chest clench up in a way he hasn’t in years. Even if the whole-body pain of his aura breaking freezes the air in his lungs and fills his nose with the smell of whiskey.

He can take it.

It’s not like this first fight will be their last. He can take it… and he can give it right back as soon as he has the chance.

* * *

"What do you _want_ from me?!" His fist slams into the wall and she flinches, but doesn't back away, doesn't look away.

"How about the truth?" The words surprise her just as much, but the way his eyes widen makes it worth it. It's nice to see something besides smug on his face.

"About what..." His wariness, the way he pulls back... This is the enemy she's dealing with. Even if he's as much of a kid in over his head as she is.

"About... Why you're doing this."

Mercury makes a face. "You don't care."

"I'll decide that," Yang says, making a face right back. "Why Cinder?"

He closes his eyes, the tension in his body pulling his shoulders upward, pinching his face inward. For the first time, he looks... _tired_. "She was the first person to ever... See me as a person. My old man didn't, I was just a tool to him, something he could change to work better. She... wanted me just how I am."

She swallows, looking away for a moment. It could be a lie, but... There's something too vulnerable in him for her to believe that. "You don't owe her anything."

Mercury's eyes open slowly, looking her up and down. "I know. It's why I'm here, and... Not there." It's not much, might be almost nothing to most people, but... She inches closer, touches his arm gently as they settle into silence. It's the truth. It's enough.

* * *

" _Mercury_!" The scream of his name is the only warning he gets before the King Taiju coils around him, twin heads rearing up in front of him and ready to strike, swallow him whole. He can’t even get his arms up to pretend like it’s possible to block the blow, can’t kick free, this is it, he’s--

Bright yellow flashes across his vision and he has a moment to register the look in Yang’s eyes, the absolute fury directed at the Grimm. She cocks her arm back and fires, another flash of yellow hitting the white head of the snake, sending it reeling with its black twin. The coils around him loosen enough for him to pull free and Mercury yanks away, rolls to safety as Yang goes fist to fang with the beast.

He’s up again in a moment, heart pounding as he gets back into the fray, delivers kicks up and down the Grimm’s massive spine until it lays in smoking ruin between them. Yang moves over to him, her hands and eyes on him quickly.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure you didn’t get hurt.” She looks everywhere but his eyes, her fingers faulting when she can’t find an injury.

“I’m fine. I…” He swallows his pride, touching his hand over hers. “Thanks. For saving me.”

“It’s what friends do.” She turns her hand to squeeze his, her face serious. “They look out for each other.”

* * *

It’s a long road ahead of them. Yang looks across the airship to Mercury, a frown tugging at her lips. He’s gripping the arms of his chair, knuckles white. She unbuckles as the ship levels out, carefully crosses the open space to the seats next to him and takes the empty seat to his left. “Hey…”

The strain on his face tells her plenty of the story, the way he inhales to steady himself before speaking. “Hey, blondie.”

She doesn’t ask if he’s okay, doesn’t ask what’s wrong. That’s a bit too personal for… whatever they have. Her hand settles over his instead, fingertips slowly rubbing his knuckles until his grip relaxes a fraction. Until he eases up on the armrest and turns his hand up to hold hers.

The others with them are spread around the ship, talking low, looking out windows, meditating. She’s pretty sure that Qrow is asleep, and Oscar seems to be inching that way, his head falling onto her uncle’s shoulder more and more frequently. Weiss’s eyes are on the window, her back turned to the rest of them. Ruby and Blake are sitting, talking with Emerald. Somewhere behind them, she can hear Nora snoring, assumes all of their team is napping together.

Yang turns her focus back to Mercury, leaning over to drop her head onto his shoulder. “Better?”

“Yeah… I just…” He shrugs, jostling her slightly. “How… how are you?”

“Mmm… I’ll be okay.” Her hand squeezes his gently, her thumb rubbing over the back of his hand. They relax into it, drift towards sleep.

It’s trust, which is enough. And it’s maybe moving too fast, but she thinks it’s safe to feel it, if not say it. She loves him.

* * *

They move together, steady, measured. Rapid breathing and slow hands. Yang takes the lead, guides him close, closer, closest. Her nails scrape up his back at the feeling of him inside her, at the warmth of his breath on her neck. The pressure of his hands on her hips increases, noises locked in the back of his throat.

It’s good between them. The heat, the pressure, the pleasure. The way their lips keep finding each other and breaking apart, the way their hips press to meet. Their hands go all over each other, sliding on sweat-flicked flesh, familiarizing the feeling of hard muscle and old scars. Her hand finds his, links their fingers together and squeezes.

“Mercury…” She breathes his name out against his shoulder, her teeth digging in for just a moment. A new scar, a better scar. One that won’t make him flinch.

“Yang…” He pants it into her neck, breathes deep the scent of her. This close it’s all he can smell, this close she’s all he can think about.

She arches against him, her teeth sinking into her metal right hand to muffle her noises, body shaking and rocking with climax. When she drops back to the bed exhausted he pulls out, hastily finishes himself into the condom and disposes of it before joining her on the bed, body pressed tight to hers.

“Mm… Mercury…” She curls into him, feels the tremble in his fingertips ease as they run up and down her back. It’s not the first first and it won’t be the last first, but it’s a _good_ first. The kind of first both of them will be able to look back on with fondness.


End file.
